Sword Cut and Wheel Turn
by Aoi Shinkaze
Summary: Naruto returns from his training trip, and he's not the lovable goofball he was 2 and a half years ago. Now he's a S-rank ninja, and nobody will get in the way of his dream. Oh, and he has a zanpakuto.
1. Return to Konoha - Part One

Heh. Another crossover. I must be mad.

Now, this won't be my first Naruto/Bleach crossover, not by a long shot.

I've read a fanfic of this genre that actually got me into Bleach, and it gave Naruto Hyourinmaru, actually made him the real wielder, not Toshiro. It's an amazing fanfic, and hopefully this will be even half as awesome as that one.

Now, as cliché as it is, I'm gonna give Naruto's new sword to him during the timeskip, since I kinda need his bonds as they were in that time. Not having Neji as a friend just wigs me out, and Naruto with _this_ particular zanpakuto would hands down _lacerate_ Neji, Sasuke and Gaara, and would probably not thrash, but certainly bring a world of pain to Orochimaru.

Ergo, he gets it during the timeskip, and tears Orochimaru and Sasuke a new one when they cross blades, quite literally.

{Return to Konoha}

[Road leading to Konoha, Fire Country]

On a well-worn road, walked two men. The taller, older one who had white, spiky hair down to his back, wore garishly colored clothes, and had a rather large scroll slung across his back. The other, shorter, younger one had bright yellow spiky hair, and wore somber black robes that flapped in the light breeze that filled the road, whistling around the plentiful trees. He had a sword at his hip that swung gently, matching his pace, which was slow, yet steady, and to the right eye, implacable.

The younger man turned to his elder and remarked on the breeze. "It's soothing, isn't it, Jiraiya-sensei?"

"Hmm?" Jiraiya glanced at the younger man at his side and commented, "Do you think so, Naruto?"

"Well, yes." Naruto looked askance at his teacher, and then said rather offhandedly, "Well, the assassin does seem a little upsetting, but surely they won't bother us, right Jiraiya-sensei?" Jiraiya nodded sagely.

The assassin began to sweat as the realization of just _who_ he was trying to off sunk in rather sharply. He slunk away, tail between his legs, since he knew that-Now!

Naruto and Jiraiya leapt at the two dozen assassins as one, dual Rasengans spinning, giving off a teeth-clenching howl. The two forces clashed, assassins trying desperately to kill the man widely regarded as the strongest of the three Sannin, and one of the Jinchūriki, the one that just happened to contain the strongest of the tailed beasts in his stomach. Naruto and Jiraiya, on the other hand, gave off no such air of desperation. They were better than the assassins, together and separate, and knew it. They had no illusions that they could defeat the highly trained killers, because they knew that they were even better trained killers, and not just that, but that they were monsters compared to the average ninja. These assassins may be the best of the best, but Naruto and Jiraiya were simply _better_. They needed none of their power-ups, because there was no need. Unless a fellow S-rank ninja charged into the fray, nothing in this battle required anything stronger than A-rank ninjutsu.

It only took a minute, but then again, high level ninja battles didn't take much time, especially when one side horribly outclassed the other. So after a minute, Naruto and Jiraiya stood still in the small clearing blasted into existence by their short-but-fierce battle.

"Aw man, I'm gonna hafta clean my clothes again. How many assassins are after us anyways?"

"Does it matter Naruto? Unless an S-rank bounty hunter comes after you or us, there is little to fear. And even if an S-rank came after us, they would have to be on par with a Biju to overwhelm _you_, and they would have to as strong as the Shodai to beat both of us combined. Who was, incidentally, as strong as, if not stronger, than most Biju. Now, stop moping and use that basic water ninjutsu I taught you for such occasions. Look at me, I have no bloodstains left on my garments." Jiraiya _was_ rather clean looking for just coming out of a battle that left bit and pieces of ninja all over the clearing.

"But it makes me cold!" Naruto had adopted a pouting expression, and few would believe that it was anything but acting after seeing the way he had torn through A-rank ninja like tissue paper.

"So? You don't catch colds due to your tenant. Man up boy, you can slaughter dozens of A-rank ninja without batting an eyelash but can't take a bit of cold water? What do they teach ninja these days?"

Naruto pouted some more before fluttering his eyes, and then his once blood soaked robe suddenly looked only slightly damp.

"Good, you're getting faster at it. See? These attacks serve a good purpose after all."

"Geez old man, you get more grumpy the closer we get to Konoha, what, are you nervous?"

"Don't take that tone with me, I saw rather clearly how sloppy your attacks are, stop worrying so much, they won't hate you after not seeing you for two and a half years."

"This is why they call you a legendary ninja even without the Sannin title. You saw me fight while tearing through your own? How did my four-tails form _ever_ beat you?"

"I didn't feel like using any of more, destructive attacks. And because I'm a borderline Biju level ninja, not actually one."

"Feh." And with that eloquent response, the two ninja set off once more, leaving the battle ground pristine behind them, wiped clean by Jiraiya and Naruto's earth jutsu they had implemented as they chatted.

[Chapter End]

Well, it always pissed me off that after _2.5 __years_, Naruto learned: how to break medium level Genjutsu, sealing basic objects, the Oodama Rasengan, that unleashing more than three tails of Kyuubi's power was a bad idea, Jiraiya's wish for peace amongst the ninja nations, and a new form of his Sexy Jutsu. Two and a half years. For some stuff that could've taken 6 months to learn at the most. What did they do for 2 years? Travel all over the damn place? And if they did, how could Naruto _not_ know that Gaara was the Kazekage? And if they spread that "training" over two and a half years, that's even more sad.

Naruto went from barely being able to stab a cat to kicking a Biju around all over the place in _months_. Sure, he passed out after it, but hey, if at _12_ he could hold off the Ichibi, at 15? He should've been able to snap the Hachibi's neck. After throwing it through several mountain first of course, wouldn't want to make a ninja battle _quick._

So in this fanfic, Naruto, under a "proper" tutelage (and a zanpakuto), is S-rank right off the bat. He doesn't pussyfoot around either, as you can see. His sloppy attacks (by S-rank standards), were enough to kill nearly a dozen A-rank ninja.

You'll see plenty of his zanpakuto in later chapters, cuz Kishi-forbid Naruto face non-S-rank ninja. Also, Naruto knows plenty Kido, taught to him by his zanpakuto.

Oh, and since the ranking system for ninja is kinda off (Naruto is a genin, obviously, he is an outlier on such a scale that he shouldn't even be counted, since he sets the balance off by too much. Come to think of it, Gaara was rated as a genin when he was strong enough to defeat A-rank ninja.), I've come up with my own. You will find it in my profile, if you're interested.

This is all unbeta'd, so PM me if you see a mistake.

Review!


	2. Return to Konoha - Part Two

Chapter 2. Here at last. Right?

I see your sighs of relief, soothing the aching pain of _not-knowing_. Of me not releasing what's happening in the Naruto-verse.

Well, waits over folks.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own neither this chapter nor any previous, nor any hereafter. Nor any characters and skills and swords that may or may not belong to some very wealthy people.

[Road to Konoha no Sato]

Naruto walked upon the well packed earth of the road, hammered flat by countless civilians and ninja. He walked beside a legend. A Sannin. The best of the Sannin. The strongest. Funny how things worked out. Orochimaru took Sasuke, the genius of his age took the genius of his own, Jiraiya took Naruto, the over-looked genius took the other overlooked one, and Tsunade took Sakura, the other, leftover genius took the other leftover genius.

Each took the one like themselves. And just as Jiraiya stayed over-exuberant and showy, so did Naruto, and just like the very _best_ of ninja, their actual, far, _far_ more deadly side stayed hidden. So well hidden that people, civilians, ninja, clients, enemies, looked at them and dismissed them.

And then said enemies died. Underestimation has killed hundreds of otherwise capable ninja.

So Naruto and Jiraiya continued their merry way to Konoha, and all was well.

[Several Hours Later, Konoha]

Naruto, garbed in simple, black turtleneck and slacks, slouched next to his mentor. He had a blindingly bright orange vest on top of his black t-shirt, one that seemed incongruous to it. He also wore steel-toed black boots, had black pockets on his slacks and in general seemed to be rather darkly attired. A sword, clad in a brilliantly decorated sheath rode at his hip. The sword, with its golden hilt, golden, circular guard and blue wrapping, seemed, ever so slightly, off. It had an odd air. One that wanted to make your eyes slide off it. And considering the horrifically bright orange vest above it, the feeling wasn't noticed by many, as distracted as they were by that vest.

His teacher was as ever, dressed in his own particular blend of "look at me, here I am" colors. They blinded the eye only slightly less than his students, and were nonetheless something that went very much against what would be expected for a ninja to wear.

Nevertheless, the two continued on their merry way, heedless of or uncaring of the ANBU that had appeared the instant the seemingly careless Chunin Gate Guard had felt their chakra and had signaled to the silent force. Uncaring, it seemed, as Naruto cheerfully waved at them, telling them quite blatantly that he felt they weren't hidden enough to ever escape him.

The ANBU sighed in consternation. Naruto back meant endless headaches for them as they coped with his ever unerring sense for them. Even as a toddler, he could sense them. It was infuriating. Not even the Fourth had been able to sense them. Only the First and the Third had been able, and it seemed that the boy secretly lauded as the rising Sixth would be able to do what his two predecessors couldn't, and was most likely taught by that thrice-blasted Third.

Ninja like Naruto and Jiraiya had no need to check in with the Gate Guard Chunin as did most other ninja. A quick spike of their chakra, confirmed by The Gate Guard and the surrounding ANBU, was worth far more than identification. Jiraiya's chakra was so well known and powerful, most ninja of any caliber, even the highest, relaxed ever so slightly when it came close, or even completely. Genin, Chunin, even some weaker Jounin relaxed near completely, because feeling chakra that powerful on your side meant _someone better than me and I can relax and just follow orders_ and it was comforting. Elite Jounin and ANBU, and even the Hokage, relaxed, as it meant a veritable fount of knowledge on everything mundane and mystical was here, and they now could get some damn intel on whatever was bothering them at the moment. And Naruto was a Jinchuriki. One pulse, and everyone within sensing distance knew a demon was around, and considering how controlled it was, and how calm Jiraiya was, the Kyubi was contained, and if a Seal Master was unconcerned about something related to sealing, you could be too.

As Naruto and Jiraiya blithely walked into Konoha, several days off schedule, in fact, one they knew all too well and had traded grins over the fact they were emulating Kakashi, they knew not of the immediate level of panic that they had sent into the ANBU. The elite were unsure if Naruto had continued his pranking ways, but had already initiated Code Orange, Level 5. That the level of threat Naruto posed was enough to make levels, well, it spoke of his skill.

As one, the duo disappeared from sight, reappearing instantly inside Tsunade's office. Badly startling said ninja, who tried to punch them bodily through a wall. Thankfully, she withdrew enough force to make them only rib-cracking and not neck-snapping, once she recognized them, throwing them into and through the wall. They sat up, groaning, advanced ninja constitution and healing taking care of the minor injuries right away, cuts stitching together on Naruto, slowly mending on Jiraiya.

"Hiya Baa-chan!" Naruto's exclamation earned him another punch, which sent him flying out the building.

"Brat." Was her only comment, spoken with amusement and silent exasperation.

"Well, as you can see, we are here. A few days late certainly but here. Anything drastic happen while we were gone?" Jiraiya's query seemed to shake Tsunade from he thoughts, and she turned to address it.

"No, other than the Konoha 10, 11 now I suppose, growing far stronger than before. Sakura is my own apprentice, as I'm sure you're aware. And she is doing splendidly, outshining all of my previous hopes."

Jiraiya mused on the whole apprentice business. Orochimaru had trained Anko, and she was nothing stellar. Broken by her abandonment, she had never risen beyond Tokobetsu Jounin, leaving her a specialized, but not incredibly skilled opponent. The Sound Four/Five had been the same, apart from the Kaguya, but that was expected of his bloodline. It had taken all four of the Sound Four, in their Level Two Curse Seal forms to take down two exhausted Jounin. In other words, they had been overpowered Chunin at best, Tokobetsu Jounin at worst. Sasuke would most likely grow to be not a C-rank or B-rank threat, but A-rank.

Tsunade had a far better track record. Shizune was an excellent shinobi, and a credible A-rank threat. Sakura would shape up much like her, growing to be a A-rank threat.

But he, Jiraiya, the strongest of the Sannin, was by far the best. He trained the Yellow Flash, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. One of the very, _very_ few who had made it to SS-rank threat levels. And he was training Naruto, a teen who was shaping up to surpass his father. Tsunade's quality trumped Orochimaru's quantity, but Jiraiya's trumped both in sheer power.

"Tsunade. Akatsuki is stirring. There have been whispers, rumors. Naruto and I fought two of them." Jiraiy's voice was quiet, and the air of authority was supreme within it. It was a tone all three Sanin had learned at their Sensei's knee. "Their names were Hidan and Kakuzu. They are formidable fighters, and were it not for our summons and Kyubi; neither side would have made it out alive."

Tsunade spluttered. "You mean to say you let them go? You let S-rank missing nin leave? How could you? I-"

Jiraiya's voice cut off Tsunade's without hesitation, "Tsunade. Any further, and Naruto would have started drawing on more of Kyubi's power than he could handle. I ended the fight, critically damaging Kakuzu and crippling Hidan in the process. They would've been unable to fight for much longer if they hadn't left. It took me three days and a hell lot of trees to calm Naruto down. In the end, we couldn't save the Jinchuriki they had been after."

Tsunade's eyes were shadowed. "They died?"

"He committed suicide rather than let either side gain control of him. That's why Naruto flew into a rage so quickly. The death of one like that, a fellow Jinchuriki, it shook him so much two tails manifested instantly. The next instant, Hidan had his head chopped off, the one after that, I had entered the fray."

Tsunade sat down as Naruto reappeared, and happy, idiotic grin plastered on his face. He had heard everything, and knew it was time for some comic relief. "Oi! Baa-chan! Is that how you greet me, after so long? And so much has changed, Ichiraku Ramen hasn't changed where it was, has it?"

"No, Brat. They stubbornly refused to move, and when some larger companies tried, a massive force of ninja turned up. Nothing screams danger more than Kakashi Hatake at the head of a mass of shinobi, all radiating KI, but his was worst of all. It also showed exactly how much he's been holding back. I checked his ANBU records. He should have wiped Zabuza off the map easier than breathing. Instead he fell to chakra exhaustion. He. Was. Holding. Back. Just to see how well you three would do."

Naruto affected an air of extreme disappointment, then vanished.

[End Chapter]

Okay, I lied. I'm not waiting until this chapter gets to 5k word length. I think this is a good cut off, and once there are more chapters, you can go and read them a s quickly as possible to your hearts content, but not yet. And I know that it's incredibly frustrating. I've felt it too. But just wait, would you people? It's incredibly hard juggling multiple stories at once.

And on that slightly sour note, toodles!

Review!


	3. Flashback Number One

So! I'm about to inflict one of the most annoying and deadly things a writer can on his or her readers. Yes, you heard me.

_**FLASHBACKS.**_

Tremble. They will provide, (Yes they! Multiple flashbacks!) Among other things, background info on what Naruto has been up to these past two and a half years, his Zanpakuto, etc.

Steel yourselves.

Warning: Contains some gruesome fight scenes.

'Thoughts'

"Spoken"

"_**Kyubi"**_

"**Kyubi-fied Naruto"**

"Zanpakuto"

[Flashback, 2 years ago, Middle of Nowhere, Somewhere in Iwa]

Naruto stared, amazed at the sight before him, and more than slightly intimidated. 'This, Ero-sennin, he can do this?'

For hundreds of feet in every direction, massive craters, pits and crevasses lined the once pristine clearing. Jiraiya, the strongest of the Sannin, stood near the middle of the clearing, roughly a meter away from a massive stone plinth, in which a slim katana was imbedded. The Sannin was sweating profusely as he contemplated the last few strings of protections around the plinth, before charging a Rasengan in each hand and then plunging them forwards, snapping the remaining threads and launching him skywards from the enormous backlash.

"Ero-sennin!" Naruto screamed as he saw his mentor, a man whose perverted ways were disgusting, yet Jiraiya was one of his Precious People, and there was no way a few puny explosions could keep him down! Naruto rushed over to the crater in which his teacher lay. "Ero-sennin! Ero-sennin! Get up! Don't just lie there! Are you okay!? Hey! ERO-SENNIN!" By this point, Naruto's voice had risen to a near shriek, and Jiraiya began stirring.

Naruto raced for the katana buried in the rock, hoping that something that well protected had some deep, hidden, super-amazing powers. Upon arriving, he jumped onto the plinth and began to tug frantically on the hilt. His eyes widened as he saw the brown clad forms of nearly a hundred Chunin and Jounin ninja flicker into the clearing. Their faces displayed rank shock at the sight of one of the Sannin groaning in a crater, and a midget standing on a stone clad in horrendously eye searing orange clothes.

As the various ninja regained their composure, one particularly idiotic one swaggered forward.

"Heh, this is the legendary Jiraiya? He looks like a Biju ran him over!" Some of the other Chunin began to laugh, not noticing the hunched position of the orange monstrosity. All of the Jounin subtly tensed as charka began to gently swirl around the boy. Soon, all of the Chunin had dropped their guards, and were laughing uproariously, while all of the Jounin were visibly tensing as more and more chakra rose from Naruto's form in the shape of a huge helix.

Naruto clenched the katana's hilt with both hands, trembling with abject rage as his eyes narrowed to mere slits as he heard the ongoing laughter of the ninja behind him. Jiraiya had been knocked out, most likely, and now it was only him against ninety-seven ninja. Alone. And he didn't dare reach deeper for more chakra, since the last time that had happened, Kyubi had burst forth, Naruto had gained four tails, and had nearly _killed_ Ero-sennin. He swore that would never happen again.

"Child….."

Naruto's eyes widened as a voice spoke in his mind.

"Child….Do not fear….Pull my handle…"

Naruto's stance firmed as resolve shone in his heart, and all the Jounin readied their weapons as the Chunin kept laughing. The kid had to be a monster, bordering on Kage levels if he hadn't taken one look at them and tried to run.

The katana slid from the stone smoothly, Naruto no longer tugging desperately, but pulling slowly. As more and more of the blade appeared, the whole length of the sword began to glow. The Chunin began to slowly stop laughing, noticing the grim and ready looks of their superiors. They blanched as they spotted the boy lifting the katana into the air as a massive pillar of light, heat and chakra burst from the ninja and his weapon.

Naruto's whole body was suffused with warmth as the blade in his hands poured energy and reassurance into him. He gradually passed out from the massive energy levels, unknowingly passing control of his body to the katana.

As the pillar of light faded, the contingent of nervous ninja shivered as the glowing purple eyes of the boy turned on them. Before suddenly being far closer, nose to nose with the first Chunin to have spoken. Then there was a purple flash, and the Chunin was on his knees, whimpering as he stared at both of his arms cut off and thrust into his own stomach. The other Chunin and Jounin stared blankly as blood poured from the holes where the Chunin's arms had been.

Naruto's mouth opened, and a raspy voice completely unsuited to a twelve year old boy spoke, "You are not worthy to speak his name." Then the boy's eyes glowed even more brightly, with a demonic cast to them now as wisps of purple energy gathered around his body.

The Jounin in charge of the expeditionary force blinked as he stared at Death right in the eye and wished Death had chosen a better looking Reaper. The ignominy of being killed by a demonic, orange and purple midget! Then he thought no more as the child's form blurred, and the screams started up.

The first Chunin watched, horrified, as the kid blazed through his former fellow ninja with absolute and complete ease. He had to be a demon! And why couldn't the boy kill him already? His sight was already going, but he could still hear the screams as all and sundry in that blasted clearing were ruthlessly cut down like wheat before a farmer's scythe. He looked up, blinking rapidly to bring the monster's face into focus as it loomed over him.

"K-kill me…"

"No." The monster's voice was like steel, rasping over iron.

"P-please…."

"Suffer." And with that cruel statement, a blood-replenishing pill was shoved into the crying Chunin's mouth, and his shoulders cauterized. The nameless Chunin howled as he felt his sight come back, the pill bringing him back to life now that he no longer leaked blood like a hose.

"M-monster…"

The thing smirked cruelly, before one of his kunai was drawn from his pouch, and then swiftly plunged into his stomach, in the area where it would take him three days to die from blood loss. The young Chunin's eyes watered as the monster kicked the kunai in further, then blacked out, screaming as the pain sent him spiraling down into the blackness.

[End Chapter]

Well, it got pretty dark and bloody near the end.

We'll have an explanation of the Zanpakuto's actions later.

Review!


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